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WAITOMO
AN Otorohanga woman is angry she has been
charged for a medical test which others get free.
Forty-five-year old mother and grandmother
Charmaine Mercer says she was charged $20 for
a cervical smear test, which would have been free,
had she not been European.
A cervical, or pap, smear is a screening test for
abnormal cervix cells that could be a sign of cancer.
Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable of
all cancers and the best protection against it is to
have a smear test every three years.
Mrs Mercer says she has had regular free smear
tests since she was a teenager and is surprised to
have been billed for the procedure last month.
“I’ve got a lot to live for and I would like to live as
long as I can and be as healthy as possible with the
health system providing for me what they provide
for other people at the same price,” she says.
“It’s important to have this test because pre-
vention is better than cure and if
I should be unfortunate enough to
develop cancer of the cervix I would
like it to be diagnosed as early as
possible.
“That’s why the health system
advocates women have regular
smears. They even send you a re-
minder letter telling you to go to
your doctor.”
HONESTY
Mrs Mercer says she falls outside
the “free smear criteria” as she’s too old, is not of
Maori or Pacific Island descent and has had a scan
within the past five years.
“The smear screen would have been free if I
was young, had a teaspoon of Maori blood or had
neglected my health. But this is not just about me
–
there are a lot of us in this boat, but no-one wants
to stand up and say what they think in case they
are called racist. We’re all so politically correct,
it’s disgraceful.
“Well it’s not me who’s racist . . . it’s the health
professionals who laid down the rules about who
pays and who doesn’t. And if my honesty offends
someone, hard luck.”
$20 CHARGE
After having her test at Te Kuiti Medical Cen-
tre and, not realising there is a charge, she left
without paying.
On her next visit to the centre, she noticed an
outstanding balance of $20 on her account. The
receptionist confirmed it was the charge for the
smear.
“She told me if I had any Maori blood, I wouldn’t
have to pay,” says Mrs Mercer.
“I asked my doctor how come I have to pay for
my smear when my Maori counterpart sitting next
to me has the same procedure free. Is her life more
valuable than mine?
“I want the opportunity to live and see my grand-
children grow and I believe the Government should
pay for me as they do for other women – my health
should not be a question of ethnicity.”
THE PRINCIPLE
Mrs Mercer says it’s not the money, it’s the
principle.
“I’m a Kiwi, I pay my taxes and I want access to
the same free services as other women, regardless
of the colour of my skin,” she says.
“The Government is better off
to pay for my $20 smear test now,
than have to pay $800 a day for
my hospital care if I get cervical
cancer. If I was a man complain-
ing about paying for my prostate
cancer test, you can bet your life
John Key would have something
to say about it.”
She says she wants to see the
charge removed so no woman
pays because a cervical smear is
such an important preventative
measure.
“I should be able to trust the health sector to be
there for me and other women like me.
“No-one likes having a smear test done, but
it’s something women must do to look after their
health and we should be encouraged to do it, not
discouraged by being charged for it.”
SUBSIDY
Te Kuiti Medical Centre practice manager
Bernie Barry-Addy says Midlands Health Net-
work (the primary health care body governing GP
funding) subsidises cervical smears for Maori and
Polynesian women, women under 25 years, and
European women who have not had a smear for
five years.
“They are trying to capture at risk women who,
for whatever reason, do not have their smears
done. They are saying cost should not be a barrier
to those vulnerable women and they have statistics
showing the risks.
CHARGES UN-
HEALTHY: Otorohanga
woman Charmain Mercer is
angry she has been charged
$20 for a cervical smear test,
which would have been free,
“This is not a Te Kuiti Medical
Practice initiative and it is not taken
lightly by the practice.”
The National Cervical Screening
Programme shows about 200 NZ
women develop cervical cancer each
year and about 70 die from the dis-
ease.
The Waitomo News was unable to
verify why some women are charged
for cervical smear tests – despite calls
to Midlands Health Network, Health
Waikato Cervical Screening and
Waikato District Health Board.
“I asked my doctor
how come I have to
pay for my smear
when my Maori coun-
terpart sitting next
to me has the same
procedure free.
Is her life more
valuable than mine?”
CHARGES UNHEALTHY: Otorohanga woman Charmaine Mercer is angry she has
been charged $20 for a cervical smear test, which would have been free, had she not been
European and over the age of 25.
Selective smear charges anger resident